Rafa Benitez was linked with a headline-grabbing January move for Fernando Torres earlier this week, however those claims have been shot down by Sky Sports’ Spanish expert Guillem Balague, stating ‘there is nothing going on at all’ in response to rumours linking the Atletico Madrid veteran with a move to Tyneside.

The story was always one to be taken with a pinch of salt, and whilst our need for a striker, his need for game-time and Benitez’s history with the former Liverpool forward made it seem slightly plausible, this one has been quickly put to bed by Balague – one of the most reliable sources when it comes to football affairs in Spain.

Here’s his tweet from earlier today, appearing to rule out any idea that Torres could be heading to Newcastle this winter: